Who will I be today?
Should I be strong?
Should I be silly?
Should I pretend I do not care?

I can do that, you know.
Substitute steel for panic,
giddiness to cover fear,
even feign distain for one I love.

Yet where does that get me?
You do not know me.
I do not know me.
I become something unreal.

And you never asked this of me anyway.